The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, based in Winter Haven, Florida, said that the “operation utilized internet advertisements to arrange the meetings between undercover detectives and suspects,” and noted that it led to 102 arrests. The office dubbed the sting “Operation No Tricks No Treats.” “The primary purpose for these operations is to identify victims of human trafficking and those who prey on the victims, as well as the deviant child predators who stalk children online,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement....

In the state of Bahia, the flooding caused extensive damage to people’s homes and businesses. At least 34,163 people have been left homeless because of the floods. Another 43,000 people were displaced, according to data from the state government. Since the beginning of the month, 21 deaths were attributed to the flood. Another 358 people were injured. “Our first response is to help, then to shelter, to care for the population in the shelters by giving humanitarian aid, with sheets, blankets, food,” Bahia’s Civil Defense superintendent, Col....

The report was published by BankRate.com and surveyed 4,026 U.S. adults, including 1,328 mortgage borrowers and 1,234 auto loan borrowers. The report shows that more than half, 54 percent, of mortgage loan borrowers were concerned about their ability to make upcoming payments. The report found the same percentage for those who have to make auto loan payments. Of the 54 percent, 17 percent of mortgage loan borrowers said that they were “very concerned,” 18 percent said they were “somewhat concerned,” and 20 percent said that they were “slightly concerned....

Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News reports Texas coach Charlie Strong announced the suspensions of three more players Sunday. According to Strong, all three players “will miss games.” Johnson had 24 catches for 178 yards and a TD last season. Turner totaled 37 tackles. Harrison is expected to contribute on the offensive line. MORE: Trouble at AFA | Offseason arrests out of control | How the NFL can help In case you lost count, that’s eight players Strong has either suspended or dismissed from the team since late July....

While Madrid have claimed two Champions League trophies in three seasons, the Spanish capital club have not won La Liga since 2012. Madrid chief breaks silence over De Gea Bitter rivals Barcelona have dominated in that period with three titles in four seasons and Morientes - who won three Champions League crowns during his illustrious time at the Santiago Bernabeu - said domestic glory is paramount for Madrid. “I think Real Madrid’s number one objective before the season started was to win La Liga and it still is,” Morientes told Marca....

The news outlet reported that Ukraine has destroyed more than 5,000 pieces of Russian equipment since the war began in late February, but that the loss of the Moskva is the most expensive. Forbes Ukraine calculated the approximate cost of the ship by comparing it to similar cruisers, which cost $720 million in 1995. “It could easily be $700 million to replace that ship, but given the state of decay we’ve seen in the Russian military, we doubt they have the money to even replace it,” Sean Spoonts, editor-in-chief of Special Operations Forces Report (SOFREP), told Newsweek....

Meanwhile, speculation is heating up that Kate may soon have a new comrade-in-Calvins–namely, Click model Michael Bergin. No one’s confirming or denying anything, of course, but CK skivvy-boy and controversy-machine Marky Mark’s contract has expired, and Klein’s been shopping around for a successor. Previously rumored replacements include hunky actor Brad Pitt, Red Hot Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis and “Cheers” alum Woody Harrelson. Calvin’s people say there’s “no reason” Mark is out, it’s just that “Calvin is always moving and changing....

Israel’s Channel 12 news was the first outlet to report that Mossad secured and transported 100,000 test kits to increase the rate at which the government can test potential coronavirus patients. The news channel said this is the first batch of a planned 4 million extra test kits that Mossad will deliver to Israel in the coming days. Ynet reported that the kits came from two different countries, and The Jerusalem Post said they had been obtained with consent of the countries in question....

Dr. Unben Pillay, a general practitioner in the highly affected province of Gauteng, held an online press conference discussing the variant. He told reporters that many patients affected by the strain are being treated from home. “We’ve seen a sharp increase in cases for the past 10 days,” Pillay said. “So far they have mostly been very mild cases, with patients having flu-like symptoms: dry coughs, fever, night sweats, a lot of body pains....

The poll, released Tuesday by The Economist / YouGov, found that 52 percent of Republicans agreed that Russia was operating under Communism, despite the country not being Communist since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Among all Americans, 42 percent thought that Russia was Communist, including 44 percent of Democrats. Last week, Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama turned back the clock on world history by claiming that Russia was Communist and that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent decision to invade Ukraine was made because he needed “more farmland” to feed his starving people....

The misalignment between the two cosmic bodies (in what is known as an x-ray binary) is so extreme that it could force scientists to change models that explain how black holes form. In a perspectives article due to be published in the journal Science, European Southern Observatory astronomer Ferdinando Patat and University of Padova professor of astronomy Michela Mapelli explain the misalignment could be due to: “the presence of a powerful kick produced by the supernova that generated the black hole....

Ureka Black, 32, of Shreveport faces a murder charge that could put her behind bars for life. She allegedly threw her 5-year-old and 8-month-old boys into Cross Lake this past Friday. Black was arrested Friday at a truck stop in Waskom, Texas. She was extradited over the weekend and booked into the Shreveport City Jail on Sunday on charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, the AP said, citing reporting by news agencies....

The mother of the Florida teen attacked on August 7 by what is believed to be a large bull shark has talked about the young man’s injuries. “All of a sudden I hear Lucas scream, ‘Shark! Shark!’” Michelle Lopez, mother of Cruz, told 7 News Miami as she described the moment she saw her son had been bitten by a shark. “I saw the back of his calf just totally missing and blood everywhere....

“[Law enforcement] is still going through tips, they’re still getting tips in and we’re very grateful that they’re continuing to push forward with our case, even after five years,” Anna Williams, the mother of 13-year-old Abigail Williams, who was killed in 2017, told Newsweek on Thursday. The comments by Williams come ahead of the five-year anniversary of the Delphi killings where Abby Williams and her friend, 14-year-old Liberty German, went missing on February 13, 2017 and were found dead a day later near the Delphi Historic Trail....

Mark Bloomfield, 54, died in the hospital after an assault on July 18, at the Full Moon Public House. South Wales Police believe the incident happened between 11:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., and are looking for witnesses both inside and outside the pub. Colin Thomas Payne, 61, is currently in custody, charged with causing grievous bodily harm. Two other people, a 21-year-old man and 50-year-old woman were previously arrested in connection with the incident, though they have been released....

Our fragmented health care system offers no bridge across the chasm that separates maternity care and ongoing primary care. This chasm harms many mothers; for Black and Indigenous people, the gap in care too often means the difference between life and death. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is the highest among affluent nations, and Black and Indigenous mothers are 3.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than are white mothers....

Wilson, 37, was from Sheffield, England, and had competed in American open-wheel racing since 2004. He recorded seven career IndyCar victories — the most recent in 2012 at Texas Motor Speedway — and eight pole starts in 174 races. MORE: Notable sports deaths of 2015 The racing community reacted immediately to the news, with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson taking part in the outpouring of support:

United have made a flying start to the season, scoring 12 goals to collect 10 points from their opening four league games. Everton 25/1 to beat Man Utd 2-1 Mourinho, whose team host Everton on Sunday, led Chelsea to three Premier League titles, but the Portuguese tactician feels it has never been tougher in England. “I think it is more difficult now,” he said. “The economic power belongs to everyone....

Kane deal proves United not a big draw Last season, United finished closer to the Premier League winners than any time since Alex Ferguson’s retirement, though they were still 15 points adrift of Leicester City. Table-toppers Chelsea are already 13 points clear of sixth-placed United, who have won only one of their last eight league games. Mourinho’s Chelsea vintage of 2004-05 set Premier League records for points accrued, goals conceded and clean sheets kept as they romped to the title, but Mourinho admits United’s legendary lustre for attacking football has forced a rethink....

The centre-back missed all seven of United’s January fixtures due to his Africa Cup of Nations participation with Ivory Coast. Rooney & Young to stay at Man Utd He suffered a minor ankle injury in United’s reserve game against Everton on Monday, but Mourinho revealed he is available for the upcoming clash at Old Trafford. “Bailly is fit to face Hull,” the United boss stated at a news conference, before adding that a number of players who were rested from Sunday’s FA Cup meeting with Wigan Athletic will also return....